Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Managing Stress: If I Have Time to Pee, I Have Time For Me

Harried Workplace Got You Stressed Out?
  • Experiencing another day in paradise at your hurry-up-and-get-it-done workplace?
  • Are things coming at you so fast and furious you fail to take rest and meal breaks?
  • Are the crises and 'I need it NOW' requests piling up and creating a feeling of total overwhelm or panic in you?
Stop! Get Thee to The Rest Room for a Time Out!

Snap out of it! --Stop winding yourself up without giving yourself the space to wind back down.  You are the only one who can balance yourself in the midst of a harried workplace filled with non-stop demands. No one else is going to do it for you.

When you find yourself at the tipping point, get thee to 'The Rest Room' for a time out. Use the little ditty-- 'If I have time to pee, I have time for me'--to cue you to take the break.

If I Have Time to Pee, I Have Time for Me!

The bathroom--or Rest Room-- provides you with one of the best places to release stress and get a moment of peace from the outside world. It is a place you can usually find some privacy and a moment alone. And rarely will anyone question your taking a break to go to The Rest Room.

Two effective carry-with-you-anywhere relaxation techniques can easily be applied in the Rest Room---retreating to a quiet place and practicing minute breathing techniques.

'If I have time to pee, I have time for me' means it only takes a few minutes to give you 'A Breather'. Take yourself into that private, quiet space in the Rest Room to consciously, deliberately and slowly breathe in peaceful, calm, relaxing energy and exhale worry, anxiety and overwhelm.

It is physiologically impossible for you to be stressed and relaxed at the same time. When you take a breather in a quiet, private place, the minute you begin to practice slow, calm inhales and exhales your body switches from the stress response to the relaxation response.

But I Feel Silly Saying 'If I have time to pee, I have time for me'

Good. It helps to put a little levity into a stressful situation--a little silliness helps relax you too. So get over it--'feel the silliness, and do it anyway!'

Instead of feeling self-conscious about thinking 'If I have time to pee, I have time for me', try saying it to a co-worker and watch their response. You can help one another lighten up and find four or five small spaces of time in your day to take that breather, unwind, and re-center to a place of calm, clear and focused energy. Why not do it now?








4 comments:

Marilyn Coffron said...

AHA! You has ESPee today. I needed this. BTW, how did you KNOW that the bathroom is my escape hatch?

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Yes, Marilyn, this ENFPee has ESPee today, lol. The bathroom is always the best option for a mother or grandmother for privacy and quiet time...just not assured with small children who follow you everywhere!

Carol S said...

As I think about all the things waiting for me when I return from my vacation this was on my FB wall. Perfect timing! I will use this. Thank you for the reminder, Susan.
I really appreciate your posts.

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Carol--

So glad this caught you at the right moment! Thanks for the comments.